Growing up as a teenager in Israel, America seemed like a dream in the distance. Relatives would come and visit and, to me, a hopeful Israeli teenager, they would seem to embody the very idea of the American dream. Rich, cultured and successful; along with their gifts and stories from the West, I felt as if their mere presence allowed me to feel a bit closer to the American dream.
Photos by Liran Rosenfeld
To me, the American dream has always meant that if you work hard and truly dedicate yourself to your chosen vocation, then you can and will succeed. Even as a little kid I remember being aware of the success of other Israelis who had emigrated to America and carved out entirely new lives for themselves where they not only achieved financial success but also made friends, achieved exceptional personal objectives and simply flourished thanks to the nourishment offered by America. A land that really is filled with opportunity – attracting people from all over the world looking to grow, develop and spread their metaphorical wings. However, beyond professional success, America has always seemed to me to be the true pinnacle of culture. When growing up I truly did believe it was where all movies were made, music was produced and the technology created. Home to names that seemed to radiate glamour like Las Vegas, Hollywood and Silicon Valley it has produced some of the most influential movers and shakers of the past century.
Photo contributed by artist: Denis Helladanko, after Denise took a leap of fait and quit his safe job to pursue happyness.
I believe this enviable output is due to America’s place as the land of opportunity; a democracy in the truest sense of the word that has never been tied to tyranny or dictatorship. The most real experession of a democracy in my opinion is the ability of one to leave their country for favorable immigration. In fact, I truly believe that America is the best possible option for any individual looking to start a business. With ambitious investors, healthy wages and a formidable working culture, where individuals are so open to innovation, and often at the forefront of the most cutting-edge technology; America offers up the very best option for those looking to start their own business.
I started PassRight because of my own experience with an immigration attorney. I saw how much tech can be added to this old process. But I stayed because of the meaning PassRight provides to the universe. Because I have seen just how hard it can be for those hopeful immigrants looking to move to America. Sadly, the state of affairs is such that moving to America has become a saga filled with difficult trials and tribulations. Instead, at PassRight we offer a platform that empowered potential immigrants looking to contribute to the American economy.
Because I truly believe that immigrants can and should form an integral part of the commercial landscape in America. In fact, most unicorn companies in the US are made by immigrants. And I believe that, here in the United States, they can achieve so much more than in any other country in the world. This is why I decided to invest my energy into starting an immigration platform, that focused solely on employment immigration. It took me 2 years but I finally managed to figure out where we can best most essential and also where our passion is at. Because of this, last week we changed PassRight’s main tagline to be: The O-1 Company.
This is because of the influence of the book Essentialism and because I want to place my focus on where our highest contribution is found. In fact, I truly believe one day, we will be the Amazon of Immigration: what “Books” were for Amazon, O-1 Visa is for PassRight. This is because we represent an utterly unique proposition as the first ever company that has automated most of the O-1 visa application. Meaning we have a great opportunity to help companies spot these O-1 potential candidates and help them make this process more efficiently. And more than anything make sure top talent isn’t missed or ignored.
We chose to focus on the O-1 visa because if you compare it to any alternatives the O-1 visa represents the fastest way for talent to come to the US.
To qualify for O-1, one must be the very best. O-1 Visa approved immigrants are the talent that has proven to be extraordinary by passing the toughest criteria. These include awards, industry recognition, and top leadership roles at previous organizations. The criteria list is available here.
Our vision at PassRight is to disrupt the hiring process in a positive way; we noticed that US companies are thirsty for fresh talent. But when a candidate is applying without a visa, the talent is not interesting anymore. Enterprise-focused, PassRight helps companies plug in an O-1 screening and O-1 Visa software into their hiring process. This allows companies to access the top talent needed to run today’s technology.
Throughout this journey, we won’t stop helping individuals who seek help. Our change is that we choose to focus on talent and companies so that later on, we’ll have the bigger opportunity to help everyone else while at scale.